NEW Date Set for iMEGA versus Gonzales (UIGEA)

The hearing originally set for September 4th, has been moved to September 26th, in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey, Trenton Division. The hearing date was a mutual agreement by the plaintiff whom is iMEGA and the defendants, who are, Gonzales, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

The Honorable Judge Mary L Cooper will now hear oral arguments on iMEGA’s petition for a TRO (temporary restraining order) against the implementation of the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act), as well as the Government’s routine motion for dismissal. The original court date was set for September 4th, with no oral arguments. Due to the extension, iMEGA’s legal team has the opportunity to submit a brief in response to the Government’s opposition to the TRO and motion to dismiss. iMEGA feels that a dismissal would be unlikely, given the court’s willingness to hear oral arguments.

iMEGA is seeking judgments restraining the United States from enforcing the “Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006” (UIGEA). The current law prevents U.S. credit card companies and banks from processing payments to online gambling businesses. According to the Act, violators are subject to civil and or criminal penalties including imprisonment.

If the law is allowed to stand, iMEGA feels would create a bad precedent that would chill innovation and growth of the e-commerce by U.S. firms, and permit the flow of jobs and Internet firls out of the U.S. to avoid stifling laws. iMEGA believes that in the case of the UIGEA, the embrace of readily available, commercial technology can help remedy the social ills (underage and compulsive gambling, as well as fraud) far better than this law, which ironically would likely exacerbate problem gambling.

iMEGA has become a very powerful source and they are accepting individual and corporate members in its trade association.

What is iMEGA? An association dedicated to the continued growth and innovation of the Internet.